PAM. 

JAPAN 


//?? 


What  is  the  Japanese  Young  Women’s 
Christian  Association  ? 


Its  Headquarters,  Tokyo,  Japan 
Its  Committees  Largely  Japanese 
Its  Membership  Japanese 
Its  Plan  of  Work  Japanese 


National  Board  of  Young  Womens  Christian  Assodationt 
600  Lexington  Avenue,  New  York  City 
September,  1914 


JAPAN 

QThe  Japanese  Young  Women’s  Christian  Asso- 
ciation is  almost  ten  years  old.  Its  influence  reaches 
throughout  Japan.  Tens  of  thousands  of  women  stu- 
dents throng  the  educational  institutions  of  this  Gate- 
way Empire  of  the  East. 

^ The  Young  Women’s  Christian  Association  pro- 
vides for  the  students  in  Tokyo, — the  one  city  where 
it  is  ready  for  work — Bible  classes  and  hostels.  The 
hostels  are  not  only  a safeguard  to  the  student  women, 
but  each  year  numbers  of  the  students  are  won  to 
the  allegiance  of  Christ. 

qThe  government  of  Japan  employs  thousands  of 
women  in  the  postal  and  telegraph  offices,  and  the  hos- 
pitals have  under  training  thousands  of  nurses.  These 
women,  to  whom  modem  life  is  an  all-absorbing  and 
strenuous  experiment,  respond  eagerly  to  the  efforts  of 
the  Association  in  opening  to  them  a higher  life. 

qThe  factories  of  Japaui  have  gathered  in  more  than 
half  a million  women  from  the  picturesque  country- 
side to  a hard  day  of  fifteen  hours  of  unremitting  la- 
bor, and  to  nights  spent  wdthin  the  dormitories  on  the 
factory  grounds.  For  these  the  Association  has  made 
a beginning  of  work. 

^ The  excellent  system  of  railways  exists  because  the 
Japanese  people  travel  constantly.  In  Tokyo  and 
Yokohama  there  is  provided  Traveler’s  Aid  work, 
which  service  to  the  community  constantly  grows. 


^ In  the  congested  sections  of  Tokyo,  neighborhood 
classes  and  kindergarten  work  are  already  under  way, 
thus  affording  an  outlet  to  Japanese  young  women  for 
Christian  activity. 

^ Business  girls  in  Y okohama  have  organized  a branch 
with  rest  rooms  and  club  rooms;  a Japanese  secretary 
is  in  charge. 

^ The  Association  homes,  both  national  and  local,  are 
the  centers  for  Bible  classes,  socials  and  community 
meetings.  Some  of  the  most  influential  men  of  Japan 
— pastors,  business  men,  government  officials  — are 
warm  in  their  support  of  the  organization. 

Q Osaka,  Kyoto  and  Sendai,  the  leading  cities  of  the 
Empire,  are  asking  for  secretaries.  Japan  has  four 
American,  two  Canadian,  and  one  British  secretary. 
Four  secretaries  and  a building  for  Tokyo  are  urg- 
ently required  during  the  present  year. 


